Raven smiled at me lovingly and kissed me, drawing the first sounds we’d heard the crowd make. I turned and looked at them, then blew a double-handed kiss. The effect was amusing, as some of the ladies smiled and shook their heads and others blushed profusely. It was nice to be cared about, but I was content with the young ladies that were already in my life. I thought that thirteen might be too many names to keep up with.
I stayed out at the fields until Celina finished. She gathered the ladies and took them inside to discuss the planting she wanted to start tomorrow. Raven and I went back to the castle and to my apartment.
When I opened the door, I knew that I was about to be ambushed. Anne, Karly, Heather and Tabitha smiled when I walked in. They were all sitting on the bed with the two kids and had been chatting. By the looks in their eyes, I knew that they had something to tell me. Ever since Diana and Feyna, I’d been scared to death of losing another one of my ladies. That was the first thing that crossed my mind.
Tabitha called us over. “Seth, you’re white as a sheet! We don’t have bad news for you and you need to quit thinking that one of these ladies is going to leave. They all love you and are devoted to you. I just wanted you to know that you spent too much time indoors this winter, and the baker done found out about it. All three of these ladies came to me and told me the same thing. The baker done added the yeast and these girls are gonna swell!”
For a moment, I thought I’d been hit with a stun spell! I finally let what she was saying sink in, and asked, “All three of you?”
They nodded, grinning.
“So that means that I’m going to have three more children this fall? Oh, my stars, I sure hope that Grandfather isn’t busy.” I was hugged on all sides; even Tamia got in on the hugging.
Tamia grinned. “They told me that we’re going to have more babies in the nursery. I’m glad, ‘cause I won’t ever get lonely in there, now. Karly is sure gonna be busy, though!”
I laughed. “If you get lonely, you can always come talk to your Dad! I’m sure that you’ll help Karly, if she needs it. You are practically grown now, and will be almost eight when the babies get here.”
Tamia suddenly changed moods and took a tone I didn’t know she had. “Dad, I was watching the girls at the shelter and saw girls that looked little, like me. Why do they have to stay there, and you take care of me?”
I didn’t know what to say and looked to Tabitha for help. Tabitha pulled Tamia close. “You saw girls that looked little, like you, over there?”
Tamia nodded. “Mom, I saw two girls go in that were little.”
Tabitha sighed. “I’ll talk to your Dad and we’ll look into it. You’re right; if a girl’s too young to be over there, then maybe we should see about other arrangements.”
Tamia turned back into a little girl again, jumped off the bed and scampered around the room. Karly rounded her up and took David back to the nursery to play. The other girls took the hint and Raven dragged them off to her room to tell Tina the news.
Tabitha looked at me and I nodded. “I’ll go see if there are girls under twelve down there or just very young-looking girls.”
Tabitha smiled. “Thank you, Seth. I think you’re a very nice boy.” And she laughed.
I ported down to the shelter and went inside. Avis greeted me with a smile and waved me into her office. “What can we do for you today, Seth?”
“Tamia said that she had been watching the girls from the shelter. She thought that she saw a couple of girls who were very young. Tabitha sent me to check on it. We’d like to keep the ages of the girls staying here over twelve, just in case subjects come up that a younger girl didn’t need to hear about, if you know what I mean.”
“I know what you mean. I know who Tamia is talking about, too. A couple girls showed up and had heard that they had to be twelve to stay. Of course, we wouldn’t turn them away, regardless of their ages. I put them in the room closest to Celina’s office. They are sisters and are both claiming to be twelve.”
I laughed. “The sisters that have the farm were very close in age, too. I feel sorry for the mother and can guess why she ran off. I’d never say that to them, though.”
Avis said, “I’ll go get them if you’d like to talk to them. Their names are Elmas and Jewel.”
I nodded and she left the office. I knew that if they came in and proved to be closer to Tamia’s age than the ages of the ladies in the shelter, I would take them to the castle. They could stay in a guest room near the nursery. That way they’d be close to Karly, who loved being around children and would accept them as family.
Avis returned leading two very adorable and very scared girls. They had been told that I wanted to see them and they had no idea what they’d done. They curtsied cutely, stared at their shoes and waited.
“Girls, you’re not in any trouble, so you don’t have to be afraid. I just wanted to ask a few questions. You do know who I am, don’t you?” The girls nodded without looking up. “You also know that I’m one of the Siblings, right?” They nodded again. “That means you have to tell me the truth. I’ll be able to read your emotions and know if you’re dishonest.”
Avis whispered, “Is that true? Can the Sibs of Eredwynn really tell if someone is being honest or not?”
I nodded and whispered back, “Yes, it is true. We were taught to notice everything, and a person’s emotions will almost always show on their face. That will give them away, if they try to deceive us.”
She nodded and I turned back to the girls. “So, the first thing that I need to know is how old you young ladies are.”
The one that looked slightly older stepped forward with a slight curtsy. “Sir, I am Elmas and this is my little sister, Jewel. I’m nine and she’s eight, but please don’t put us out. We have no place to go and it took us forever to get here. Our parents were killed in the Clodfey mine and we have no one. Please, sir, it gets really cold outside in winter.”
Her plea broke my heart. I had no intention of putting them out. She was only slightly shorter than I and I stepped forward to hug her. At first she stiffened up, frightened at being hugged by a Prince, but relaxed and hugged me back. When the knot left my throat, I spoke, “There is nothing to worry about. Lady Tabitha and I would like for you to stay in the castle with us. There would be less noise and you could help our governess, Karly, take care of Tamia and baby David. Do you think that would be better?”
Elmas gave a hopeful smile. “You really would let us stay in the castle?”
I grinned at her excited tone. “We would love to have you. Do you need help getting your things?”
Jewel spoke for the first time, “No, sir, all we have are two extra dresses each that we got when we got here. Lady Lia brought them to us. If you would let us get those, we’d be ready.”
I smiled, knowing that Tabitha would be headed for the tailor’s soon. “Go grab them, then, and I’ll teleport us to the castle. I’ll use magic and we’ll be there quickly. There won’t be anything to be scared of when we port, ok?”
They nodded and sprinted for their room.
Avis looked at me and shook her head. “I would never have thought that royalty would be so concerned over two little girls. I’m very proud to call you my friend, Seth. I know now why Noam was so devoted to you in Krose. He can see the good in people and could tell you were a good man.”
“Thank you, Avis. That means a lot to me. If you ever have a problem or need something for the shelter or yourself, just let me know. My door is always open for you.”
She smiled and nodded as the girls returned. I gathered them to me, explained porting again, and we were at the door to my apartment.
I opened the door and ushered them inside. Everyone was piled on the bed as usual, chatting about how to solve the world’s problems. I led the way to the foot of the bed and introduced the girls.
“Everyone, I would like to introduce my new friends Elmas and Jewel. Elmas is nine and her sister Jewel is eight. They are going to be staying in
the castle with us, instead of the noisy shelter. I thought that we could put them in Celina’s old room, since I won’t need it for consorts.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Children being inside all the time will drive both the children and the adults insane. That is how things started getting on the top floor of Starford Castle. Spring planting was just beginning and the young women from the farmhouse and the shelter were all busy in the fields. I suggested to Karly and Tabitha that the younger kids might like running in the grassy sections between the fields.
There was still an early spring chill, so we dressed warmly and the three little girls, ages seven to nine, led the way. Tabitha carried little David, while Karly tried her best to keep up. The girls were given free rein while Tabitha and I followed. We walked into the fields and admired all the work that had been done in preparation for the planting. Tabitha would see something that I wouldn’t have noticed, would call the closest girl from the field and point it out. A lot of the young ladies that were staying with us had come from farming families and knew what Tabitha was talking about when she’d make a suggestion. They also respected the Halflings’ reputation for being master farmers.
There didn’t seem to be a supervisor in the fields, but everyone was doing what needed to be done. I commented that you’d never get fifty men working like that, without having a boss point out what to do next. We watched from the center of the fields, where all four fields met. It seemed that we’d be able to feed everyone in the shelter and have crops to sell. The shelter was well financed now that the rest of Eredwynn had pitched in, but it would be nice to not have to rely on others. It would be good for the young ladies staying with us to learn to depend only on themselves.
Our peaceful visit to the farming world was suddenly shattered by a scream! I had children in the fields that were under my care, and the scream instantly put me on alert. My hand dropped to the hilt of my ever-present sword and I began looking around. The cry had come from the far back edge of the fields, and the girls that had been working that section were all running in the direction of the castle. It took me a moment to identify the cause of the panic, but finally, my mind screaming with denial, I identified the creatures that had abruptly appeared.
The ants that Grandfather had warned us about had finally discovered Eredwynn. I could barely see the hole that they had climbed out of, but I could see a few huge insects standing around it. One had located the trail of a young lady that had been working close by and was on her tail. I began firing ‘energy bolts’ at the monster, but they barely had any effect on the hard shell. The creature was gaining, so I ported the young lady to the spot where Karly had joined with Tabitha and the kids. I then ported the whole group to the front of the shelter. I knew that there would be no way for the ants to get inside, even if they got past me.
The girls had been clearing stones out of the fields and piling them in the sections between. I knew that Grandfather had said the insects were resistant to magic, but I doubted they would be resistant to rocks! I began firing stones at the closest, as fast and as hard as my telekinesis would allow. The effect was devastating to the tough shell of the ant. The limbs that I hit snapped and I was finally able to target its head. It died on its back, the way you’d expect an ant to die; it was just much, much bigger.
In the lull, I activated my ‘telepathy.’ ‘Raven, Celina, grab Warin and your weapons and meet me in the fields. The ants are here.’
‘I’m on my way, Seth. I’ll be there in a few moments.’
‘I’ll get Warin; are they as big as Grandfather said, big brother?’
‘They are big enough; telekinesis and stones are effective, but energy bolt is a waste of time. I killed one, but there are four or five at the west side of the fields. I’m near the middle and will wait for you here. The girls have cleared the fields now.’
Celina thought, ‘Was anyone hurt?’
‘Luckily, Tabitha and I had brought the kids out and were here when they showed. Cel, make sure they’re safe before you come. I ported them to the front of the shelter.’
‘You got it, big brother; be there shortly.’
It wasn’t long before Raven ported in and joined me. Shortly after that, Warin and Celina showed up.
Celina hugged me. “Tabitha, David and all your little girls are safe. Now where are the bad guys?”
“Down at the end of this field. They are hard to see, but if you’ll adjust your vision to scan for magic, you’ll see the black. That means we have to be careful about staying around them too long. Either that or hold Raven’s hand this whole trip.”
Raven smiled. “I wouldn’t mind that, but it would make it a mite hard to swing a sword. Since magic won’t work on these things, I guess Grandfather’s gifts will get put to good use.”
We began walking toward the entrance to the ant tunnels. Warin spoke up, “I think, since we’ll be going into the tunnels to find the queen, the girls should wait topside, in case anything gets past us.”
I looked at Raven and Celina, two ladies that I loved very much, and answered, “I agree; you two should pick off anything that comes out of the hole behind us. That way, we’ll know that the exit is clear.”
Celina gave a humorless chuckle. “That way, you two men will know that the poor helpless damsels are safe. Warin, if you don’t like the couch, you shouldn’t say things like that. And you, big brother, after growing up with the Aunts all your life? I’m shocked that you’d even go along with that kind of comment.”
Warin gave me an uncomfortable look. “I don’t like the couch. I guess they’re coming with us.”
I laughed. “Hardheaded Stephenson women. Gotta love ‘em, but four blades would be better than two. Let’s get these at the top, then I’ll drop in the hole and light the way.”
The ants had claimed the area around the new hole as theirs and weren’t at all thrilled with the idea of us getting close. We spread out so we’d be out of range of each other’s swords and moved in. The ants began attacking with a weapon that I hadn’t counted on. They would tuck their abdomens under them and spray a fine mist at us. We were shielded and the mist wouldn’t penetrate the shield, but I was curious. We quickly dispatched the ants at the hole with the wonderful weapons we’d been given for the job. I thought again that I’d have to thank Alec for his training, which was now coming in so very handy.
Some of the liquid was on the ground near me; I dropped the shield on my hand and touched it. It was like dipping my hand in liquid fire and I quickly wiped it off on the grass. I healed myself and suggested that we all double check our shielding. I could imagine getting a face full of that stuff, and it didn’t sound like fun.
With the others watching my back, I carefully stuck my head down into the ants’ tunnel. This spot seemed to be the end of the line and the tunnel only ran north from here. That was good news, because we didn’t have to watch behind us for a mob of angry insects. The tunnel was a little over four feet high and I had to stoop a bit to stand. I set a light orb to hover a few feet in front of me and called back for everyone to join me.
Celina had no trouble at all moving around, Raven had to stoop quite a bit and poor Warin had to crawl on his hands and knees to even attempt to navigate. Grandfather had been right again. Soldiers wouldn’t have been able to work in these conditions. I didn’t know how Warin was going to fare, but we had to get going. Now that this had started, we had to see it through.
As we began our trek through the tunnel, I had to admire the craftsmanship of the tunnel. We could see where the jaws of the bugs had carved out the dirt and made for an almost smooth passage. It went down steeply until we were buried under fifty feet of earth. I tried not to think about what could happen if the tunnel collapsed. We made it a couple hundred yards before we ran across the first ant in the tunnel. Since I was leading and no one could get around me, she was all mine. I swiped the mandibles to disarm the creature and then decapitated it. The body kicked and wiggled and finally lay still. I c
ould feel the magic-leaching effect of the meteor that had created these monstrosities, and knew we needed to move on. The rest of my party managed to skirt around it and the trip continued.
We moved another quarter mile and Celina and I stopped and looked at each other. We could both feel the river flowing and it was directly overhead. It was an odd feeling, but the sprite in us could tell exactly where it was. We moved on and, from time to time, found chambers built off to the sides. They hadn’t been put to use yet, but the ants seemed to know that they’d need them in the future. I hoped they hadn’t chosen my fields and shelter for a hunting ground, but the rooms did look like they could be used as a larder.
For several hours we traveled, running into an occasional insect which was quickly dispatched. Raven was the only one of us who had thought to grab a survival pack that we’d had prepared for this exact situation. Luckily, she had plenty of food packed and we had an underground picnic. After we ate, we learned that we’d made a mistake. There have been stories and jokes told about ‘ants coming to a picnic’. Normally they are just annoying, but here they were three feet tall and mean!
One after the other they came, and we were spending as much time climbing over their bodies as traveling forward. The scent of the dead ants in the tunnel must have sounded an alarm somewhere, because the type of ant that we had been fighting disappeared. Someone had called the guards, and they were unhappy! These monsters were a foot taller, faster and tougher than the beasts we’d dealt with before. Our blades would still cut through them, but they were capable of taking much more damage than the smaller ones had been.
We finally caught a lull in the fighting and moved forward. The tunnels started getting larger and even Warin was able to stand, for the first time in miles. That was when we discovered the rooms on the sides of the tunnel were beginning to be used for storage. I’d always pictured an ant den with little rooms and chambers filled with bugs and seeds. In these chambers, we found large nuts, pecans, black walnuts and the like. They weren’t the types of things that a normal ant would be hauling around, but were not a problem when you were the size of a large dog! We also found parts of alligators, deer, rabbits and squirrels. These discoveries helped drive home the fact that we weren’t dealing with a creature that nature had intended to exist.
Seth, A Naiad's Son (Generations of Eredwynn Book 3) Page 28
